The Power the Dark Lord knows not
by Steinkrauz
Summary: For years Albus Dumbledore tried to decipher a certain line from the Prophecy, that is until an unexpected visit from fuming Potions Master. Oneshot.


Severus Snape was fuming with anger and his anger was caused by no other than Harry Potter. But, unlike many previous cases, this time the Potter brat was not the cause. Somewhere in between fetching nearly dead boy from his so called 'relatives', healing his small body and fragile mind, fighting with impudent child the snarky professor lost his ability to be angered by Potter and gained an ability to be angered on his behalf. And Harry's well-being was the cause made Potions Master stride through the castle to the Headmaster's office, his billowing robes rustling like a bunch of angry snakes.

Even if Headmaster was surprised by an unexpected visit from his professor, he never showed it. His blue eyes were twinkling behind the half-moon glassed and a grandfatherly smile was hiding in his beard.

– Ah, Severus, my boy, please, have a sit. Lemon drop?

– Down with the candy, Albus. I'm here to talk about Potter. As I was told, you are going to send him back to those blasted Muggles. Is it true?

Headmaster winced inwardly. That was the most unexpected occurrence: just three weeks ago Harry was put in Severus' care and now the latter became a full-scale mother hen.

– As I told you before, in order his mother's protection to work, he must call his aunt's house his home. And, of course, I shall personally talk with his uncle and aunt to ensure they'll never harm Harry in any way.

The anger was now visible on Snape's usually impassive face.

– You don't understand, Albus. Damn it, you _can't _understand! You have zero experience with abused children, not to say about abuse this magnitude. The only way he may return to that place, is on his own accord, in order to face his fears and only when he's ready. Send him now, send him by force, send him without a right to live that place, and he'll be irreparably broken!

– Severus, you are clearly exaggerating, and... – Headmaster stopped in mid-sentence. The tide of darkness was creeping out of the corners of the room. The light became dim, as if it was evening, not bright afternoon outside the windows. The whirls of dark were rising from the floor, crawling up the walls, making the room seems smaller, a little island of light lost in the endless black space.

Yes, Severus Snape was no light wizard. He was might and dark, may be as dark as Tom Riddle. But still not the same. Tom radiated power, and Headmaster feels it. Tom's power had some indistinguishable flavour of illness, like staying at the entrance of some crypt filled with victims of a plague. While being the same charcoal dark, Severus' magic left quite a different after-taste. It was like August night, that falls on you after the shortest twilight. Blindingly dark, but warm, filled with sound of cicadas and smell of sun-dried herbs, ready to cover you, to hide from malicious eyes. And then in clicked...

– Severus Snape, that is enough, – commanded Headmaster – cease unleashing your magic, and destroying my thing. – Albus added the last part seeing as one of his trinkets was turned into a pile of smoking ash by the whirling darkness.

– I do promise, Harry will never be send back to Dursleys. We'll try to another way to protect him without causing any harm. You're right after all, I had never had an opportunity to watch after an abused child and may be seriously mistaken in such a case.

Potions Master looked slightly embarrassed. Angry as he was, it still was totally unacceptable to loose control on his magic to this extent.

– So, I may give the boy my word, that he never returns to that relative of his?

– Yes, my boy, you perfectly may.

– Then I'll take my leave, Albus. I still have plenty of work to do.

– Of course, Severus, of course. Have a nice day.

The door clicked after the Snape's departure. As short as it was, the talk drained the old Headmaster. But nonetheless, he was happy. 'The power, the Dark Lord knows not', those blasted words he tried to understand for more than decade, were now crystal clear. The power of an adult caring for a child, raising him, protecting him. The lone boy from orphanage had never experienced this kind of care, he is not able even imagine it. The prophecy is silent about Severus, but still, it was told to him as well, and that means he's interwoven in its lines, even if we couldn't see it. And Harry is not a weapon, he is a key to unlock Severus' powers and a foundation to keep the Potion Master from converting into a new Dark Lord.

Most of his plans were garbage now, but Albus Dumbledore was smiling. After many years the future was nearly certain, and, more important, with the new plans two certain wizard will be alive after the end of the War.


End file.
